초록 ▼

An inertia igniter including a mechanical delay mechanism having two or more members which are movable under different acceleration conditions to sequentially move a movable member upon sequential movement of the two or more members and an ignition member actuatable by the movable member such that m

An inertia igniter including a mechanical delay mechanism having two or more members which are movable under different acceleration conditions to sequentially move a movable member upon sequential movement of the two or more members and an ignition member actuatable by the movable member such that movement of the movable member by the two or more members ignites the ignition member. The movable member can be movable by one of translation and rotation. The inertia igniter can further comprise an impact mass releasably movable in the housing, wherein the impact mass is released and movable by movement of the movable member to impact the ignition member. The inertia igniter can also further comprise a stop member for preventing movement of the impact mass until the movable member has moved a predetermined distance.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A mechanical delay mechanism comprising: two or more members, at least one end of each of the two or more members being sequentially movable upon at least one of an increasing magnitude and duration of an acceleration event; and a movable member movable in an actuation direct

What is claimed is: 1. A mechanical delay mechanism comprising: two or more members, at least one end of each of the two or more members being sequentially movable upon at least one of an increasing magnitude and duration of an acceleration event; and a movable member movable in an actuation direction by the sequential movement of the two or more members, the movable member preventing each of the two or more members from moving until a previous one of the two or more members has moved the movable member a predetermined distance to release a subsequent one of the two or more members; wherein the movable member is movable in a direction opposite to the actuation direction after at least a first of the two or more members is engaged to move the movable member. 2. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a biasing member for biasing the movable member in the direction opposite to the actuation direction upon a reduction in at least one of the magnitude and duration of the acceleration event, the movable member being capable of subsequently moving in the actuation direction upon a subsequent increase in at least one of the magnitude and duration of the acceleration event. 3. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 2, wherein the biasing member is a compression spring disposed between a housing and the movable member. 4. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 2, wherein the biasing member is a leaf spring attached at one end to a housing and attached at another end to the movable member. 5. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 1, wherein the two or more members are finger members cantilevered from a housing at one end and movable at the other end. 6. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 1, wherein the movable member has a tapered surface at one end for engagement with the two or more members to facilitate movement of the movable member by the sequential movement of the two or more members. 7. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 1, wherein the movable member is movable by translation. 8. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 1, wherein the movable member is movable by rotation. 9. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 1, wherein the movable member has a cavity for accepting the two or more movable members. 10. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 1, further comprising an inertia igniter having an ignition member, the movable member being movable such that movement of the movable member by the two or more members in the actuation direction to an ignition position ignites the ignition member. 11. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 10, wherein the inertia igniter further comprises a releasably movable impact mass, wherein the impact mass is released and movable by movement of the movable member to impact the ignition member. 12. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 10, further comprising a stop member for preventing movement of the impact mass until the movable member has moved a predetermined distance. 13. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 12, wherein the stop member is a shear pin which is breakable to allow movement of the impact mass upon a predetermined load being applied thereto. 14. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 12, wherein the stop member is a ball that is disposed within a cavity in the impact mass and a detent on the movable member, the impact mass being movable upon an alignment of the ball and detent. 15. A mechanical delay mechanism comprising: a first member, at least one end of the first member being movable upon an acceleration event having a first magnitude and first duration; at least a second member, at least one end of the second member being movable upon movement of the first member a predetermined amount of travel and where the acceleration event has a second magnitude greater than the first magnitude and a second duration greater than the first duration; and a movable member movable in an actuation direction by the movement of the first and at least second member, the movable member preventing movement of the at least second member until the first member has moved the movable member a predetermined distance; wherein the movable member is movable in a direction opposite to the actuation direction after at least the first member is engaged to move the movable member. 16. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 15, wherein the movable member moves in the direction opposite to the actuation direction where the acceleration event has at least one of a decreasing magnitude and duration. 17. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 15, wherein the first and at least second members are finger members cantilevered from a housing at one end and movable at the other end. 18. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 15, wherein the movable member has a tapered surface at one end for engagement with the first and at least second members to facilitate movement of the movable member by the sequential movement of the first and at least second members. 19. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 15, wherein the movable member is movable by translation. 20. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 15, further comprising an inertia igniter having an ignition member, the movable member being movable such that movement of the movable member by the first and at least second members ignites the ignition member. 21. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 15, further comprising a biasing member for biasing the movable member in the direction opposite to the actuation direction. 22. A mechanical delay mechanism comprising: a first member, at least one end of the first member being movable in an acceleration direction upon an acceleration event having a first magnitude and first duration; a second member, at least one end of the second member being movable in the acceleration direction upon movement of the first member a first predetermined amount of travel and where the acceleration event has a second magnitude greater than the first magnitude and a second duration greater than the first duration; at least a third member at least one end of the second member being movable in the acceleration direction upon movement of the second member a second predetermined amount of travel and where the acceleration event has a third magnitude greater than the second magnitude and a third duration greater than the second duration; and a movable member movable in an actuation direction by the movement of the first, second and at least third member, the movable member preventing movement of the second member until the first member has moved the movable member a first predetermined distance and preventing movement of the at least third member until the second member has moved the movable member a second predetermined distance. 23. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 22, wherein the first, second and at least third members are finger members cantilevered from a housing at one end and movable at the other end. 24. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 22, wherein the movable member has a tapered surface at one end for engagement with the first, second and at least third members to facilitate movement of the movable member by the sequential movement of the first, second and at least third members. 25. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 22, wherein the movable member is movable by translation. 26. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 22, further comprising an inertia igniter having an ignition member, the movable member being movable such that movement of the movable member by the first, second and at least third members ignites the ignition member. 27. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 22, further comprising a biasing member for biasing the movable member in a return direction opposite to that of the actuation direction. 28. The mechanical delay mechanism of claim 22, wherein the movable member moves in a return direction opposite to that of the actuation direction where the acceleration event has at least one of a decreasing magnitude and duration. 29. A method for providing a delay, the method comprising: moving a first member a predetermined amount of travel upon an acceleration event having a magnitude and duration; moving at least a second member upon the first member moving the predetermined amount of travel and the acceleration event having a second magnitude greater than the first magnitude and a second duration greater than the first duration; engaging the first and at least second members with a movable member and moving the movable member movable in an actuation direction by the movement of the first and at least second member, the movable member preventing movement of the at least second member until the first member has moved the movable member a predetermined distance; and moving the movable member in a direction opposite to the actuation direction after at least the first member is engaged to move the movable member. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the moving of the movable member in the direction opposite to the actuation direction occurs where the acceleration event has at least one of a decreasing magnitude and duration. 31. The method of claim 30, subsequent to the moving of the movable member in the direction opposite to the actuation direction, moving the movable member in the actuation direction upon a subsequent increase in at least one of the magnitude and duration of the acceleration event. 32. The method of claim 29, further comprising igniting an ignition member with the movable member after the movable member has moved a predetermined distance. 33. The method of claim 29, further comprising biasing the movable member in the direction opposite to the actuation direction.